Compliance Testing of Passive Interconnects

Many standardization committees such as SAS, SFF, OIF, IEEE, IBTA, etc. have defined or are in the process of defining informative and/or normative specifications for passive channels operating at multiple gigabit speeds. This paper provides an overview of the different channel performance parameters and compliance testing methods that are applied today in the industry. A new compliance parameter, the total integrated noise is introduced. This parameter includes all interconnect noise sources and makes a separation of the interconnect noise budget in a crosstalk, multiple reflection, inter symbolic interference, transmitter and receiver impedance mismatch and mode conversion budget no longer necessary.